1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to data processing methods for an environmental certification program. More particularly, the methods relate to environmental certification methods and systems where participants in the environmental certification program are tracked and evaluated for compliance and certified accordingly.
2. State of the Art
Pollution prevention has become an important issue to industry, business and the public. The public is increasingly desirous of knowledge of which companies have maintained a high standard of environmental performance; i.e., minimizing harmful impact on the environment. Moreover, the public is acting upon this knowledge in the marketplace, specifically seeking out model environmental corporate citizens. As a result, companies are finding that it is to their benefit to invest time and money into improving their environmental performance to thereby enhance their public image and consequently reap the financial rewards of the marketplace. In addition, in many circumstances implementing environmentally sound measures may provide cost savings to a company. Moreover, it has been found that companies which are environmentally responsible provide their employees with a source of pride which translates into improved productivity for employees of those companies.
Companies have vied for environmental awards given by the government, particularly the Environmental Protection Agency, and organizations, for the prestige associated with such awards and perceived economic value of the awards. However, these awards are not based on uniform criteria, and award recipients have varying degrees of environmental performance. Furthermore, these awards are typically provided on a one-time basis and do not confer the level to which the recipient has maintained its environmental responsibility after receiving the reward. In fact, many companies after receiving an award decrease their environmental responsibility, thereby diminishing the perceived value of the award in the marketplace. In addition, such awards do not confer to the recipient the privilege of displaying a policed certification mark in conjunction with the recipient""s goods. Therefore, the public is not always aware of the award, and, even if aware, the public often does not confer significant weight to the awards, as the awards are not widely known. Moreover, the criteria for such environmental awards are not tracked in a data processing system which enables the tracking and evaluation of the compliance with such criteria over time.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a data processing method for an environmental certification program.
It is an additional object to provide an environmental certification program.
It is another object of the invention to provide a data processing method which tracks and evaluates the compliance by a participant in the environmental certification program.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a data processing method for an environmental certification program which certifies a participant in the program as being in compliance with the program when the participant complies with predefined criteria.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a data processing method for an environmental certification program which evaluates the continued certification of a participant in the program when the participant complies with additional predefined criteria.
In accord with these objects, which will be discussed in detail below, a data processing method for an environmental certification program is provided which defines a plurality of predefined criteria which must be met by a participant in the program in order to be provided with a privilege of providing a certification mark to the participant for use on goods, advertising, press materials, etc. The data processing method tracks the compliance by the participant in the environmental certification program, and further evaluates the continued certification of a participant in the program. Preferably, continued certification requires achieving additional predefined criteria in addition to maintaining the predefined criteria which led to initial certification. Moreover, compliance with the predefined criteria is preferably ensured with periodic on-site verification.
The predefined criteria are distinguished across several categories, including energy efficiency, the use of renewable energy, recycling, waste minimization, health and safety, reduction of environmental liabilities, and corporate citizenship. Each category is further refined into a number of xe2x80x9cprofitable environmental measuresxe2x80x9d (or PEMs); i.e., particular implementable measures which are environmentally beneficial and preferably profitable to the participant.
According to a preferred aspect of the invention, the participant must implement (and maintain) a predefined number of PEMs prior to being certified, and thereafter implement a predefined number of PEMs at specified years after certification. Preferably, the PEMs are required to be initially implemented at a single facility, and then during a specified period of time after initial implementation, the PEMs are preferably required to be implemented at additional facilities.
The terms of compliance are the same for all participants, and the number of PEMs that must be implemented for any particular participant, as well as the number (or percentage) of the facilities of the participant in which the PEMs must be implemented are tracked in a database of a computer system. In addition, based upon participant reporting and on-site verification, the database also maintains a list of the type of PEMs which the participant has implemented, and provides an evaluation of compliance by the participant and determines whether the participant is eligible for initial and continued certification in the program. If the participant becomes ineligible for certification due to non-compliance with the requirements of the program, the participant loses the privilege of displaying the certification mark in association with the participant""s goods and advertising until once again being in compliance with the program.
It will be appreciated that the data processing method for an environmental certification program provides uniform criteria for participants in the program. As such, the certification mark provided by the program to a complying participant has discernable value in the marketplace. In addition, the continued display of the certification mark by a participant on its goods and in its advertising and other materials signifies the participant""s dedication to environmental concerns and the willingness of the participant to be a model environmental citizen.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the detailed description taken in conjunction with the provided figures.